MY UNPOPULAR OPINION ON WATERMELON VARIETIES ...

It's time for the final harvest from our spring watermelon plot where we grew three different varieties to compare. Which watermelon varieties performed the best and which ones were stinkers?
We'll also share our very unpopular opinion on these older, heirloom watermelon varieties. Why is there so much hype for these watermelon varieties? Who knows?!
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[@waynespringer501]

So far I still have my Black Diamonds growing but I've lost every single one of my crimnson sweet watermelons growing on a trelis, not from falling but from a possum digging holes into the side of every watermelon. So this year I will be eating possum stew instead of watermelon!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Watermelon sounds much better than possum stew, but make the best of it! lol

[@esmysyield2023]

Yea my squirrels have a slight pecan taste to them lol.

[@lindasanchez354]

Glad To Hear Your Feeling Better. CajunB and I Are Okay Here. We Been Praying All Week for You And Family. Once Again We Enjoyed Your Visit And Always Welcome to Come Back in the Future.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Linda!

[@majedalali4570]

Nice video! Very informative. It is no surprise that the hybrids perform better than the heirlooms, they are, in fact, developed to improve the heirloom varieties. In my experience, the hybrids (mostly triploids) have always performed better than the heirloom ones in just about every aspect (except seed germination), taste, disease resistance, uniformity, internal quality, field holding ability. The only reason I plant the heirlooms is curiosity and to assist in pollinating my triploids (seedless). Between last year and this year I planted 10 different triploid varieties (sweet dawn, excursion, fascination, farmers wonderful, chubbiness, style, tailgate, Amarillo, orange crisp). In fact, I sowed 4 thousand seeds last February and sold tons and tons of of watermelons. It's hard to pick a favorite because of the numerous criteria one could apply. Some did better in sweetness but lacked crunchiness. In about a month (September is our second season for watermelons) I'll be planting style again and I'll also try Evolution, both varieties from Nunhems. Here are my top 4 so far: 🍉 Style. Exceptionally sweet, convenient size (14-17 lbs), excellent field holding ability. 🍉 excursion. Very sweet, consistently large fruits (18-24 lbs). Excellent internal qualities. 🍉 farmers wonderful. Very sweet, beautiful round fruits, but not as crunchy as the others. 🍉 Amarillo. A very sweet yellow flesh variety, pleasantly different flavor 🤔.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I've wondered about Amarillo. I almost picked that one to grow this year. Thanks for sharing your trial results.

[@EverettJohn7]

Thank you for your comment. you gave actual useful information about watermelons

[@robertantolik2146]

I don't exactly have a particular favorite watermelon but I never paid much attention. I like all watermelon. But a few weeks back I bought a huge melon at my local fruit and vegetable stand. I asked what variety they were and she told me "720's". So I looked them up online and saw that they average from 28-30 lbs. I threw mine on the bathroom scale and it was 41.6 lbs.! I had guessed 40 just from carrying it. In fact the size is what made me stop. There was a display which looked like a wall of the biggest melons I'd ever seen. She sold out in about 24 hrs. Anyway, I saved the seeds and am going to try them next spring. Super stoked

[@gailpetchenik3048]

How did they taste?

[@robertantolik2146]

@@gailpetchenik3048 they were pretty good. But I've never really had a watermelon I didn't like

[@LazyDogFarm]

Almost sounds like those Carolina Cross watermelons we grew last year. They got huge and took forever to get ripe. They weren't bad, but almost too big to carry.

[@MrBushman123]

The cultivar "summer flavour 720" (most likely what she meant by "720s") is a f1 hybrid and can therefore *not* be propagated using seed from the same strain of fruit. If you plant those seeds you will get a variety of genotypes which will produce fruit much different from the one you bought initially. Can be interesting for hunting unusual/new expressions, but if you want "true to seed" melons you need to buy open pollinated fruits or seeds. ps. A year has passed since you posted that comment. Have you grown them out already? If so, how did it turn out?

[@katiem9644]

I enjoy growing both some of the older heirloom varieties, and the newer hybrids. I appreciate all the effort done by modern breeders to improve productivity and disease resistance, and think its a great thing for us to be able to grow "new and improved". Fortunately, we dont have to grow "either or", we can grow both. And glad you're feeling better. Never even occurred to me that you might have had Covid...I was surprised! Nothing like natural immunity now.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Definitely a good thing that we have options as far as hybrid or heirloom.

[@robinwilson9280]

Glad you are feeling better. My daughter and her family just had the exact same covid symptoms you had, with horrible belly issues. Glad for both of you guys feeling better. We have the Warty Goblin pumpkins planted and so far they are doing great!

[@justinhaase8825]

I spent a summer with someone who was a total watermelon lover…they grew some and bought some. I’m not a big watermelon person but when you find a great one with tons of sweetness and no seeds…it’s like winning the lottery, but most were…ok.

[@aquillawallace7979]

Glad you are feeling better and the family didn't get sick.

[@gypsycowgirlok]

Glad you are feeling better! I always appreciate that you talk so much about each individual kind of plant and what you are doing throughout the growing process and what works well and doesn't. It helps so much in the learning process for us newer gardeners.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@cjr4497]

Charleston grey and Ali Babba have come out the sweetest for me of all the verities I have tried over the years. I tried Moon and Stars last year and they grew the best and produced a lot of big beautiful melons, but were not the sweetest. In their defense none of my melons were very good last year. Every time I had a few getting ripe it would rain for a week.

[@edgarbaring6319]

Yeah Charleston grey is the best tasting to me, can't find them here in tx.

[@David-kd5mf]

Create your own landrace watermelon. Mix all the hybrids and heirlooms together and let everything cross. Save seed and repeat for 3 years. Year 4 have your own landrace watermelon adapted to your site.

[@David-kd5mf]

@trentbishop7793 kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaq7koabeK6faKM

[@urbanbackyardcontainergardenin]

Glad you’re feeling better. I need to keep learning all I can from you.

[@elizabethsommer7248]

Crimson Sweet is our favorite open pollinated melon. I think we actually discovered it at a grocery store.

[@LazyDogFarm]

That is a good one! We have some of those growing for a fall attempt.

[@monster2804]

Glad you're feeling better

[@barbaraengle768]

So glad to see your show, been missing you on row by row... keep up the great work,love learning stuff about when you garden you are only about an hour&half from me... Hazlehurst Georgia

[@susanmiller2070]

So sorry you have been so sick. Take care of your self and your family. Look forward to your videos; I always find them informative.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thank you so much!

[@EventHorizon34]

Glad to see you’re feeling better.

[@markb3129]

Good to hear you are feeling better.. Hard to get away from heirloom varieties but I'm heading in that direction!!!! ✌🏻

[@davidmontgomery8346]

Grew wilhite's sweetheart this year. Very happy with it. Best texture and flavor I have had. Wilhite seed has some other great watermelon varieties too.

[@lukewilson3271]

I don't really let hybrid vs heirloom effect me, I look at the variety as a whole and decide if I want to grow it or not. My slicing tomatoes this year for example, I grew Mr. Stripy (an heirloom) and Parks Whoppers (a hybrid) they were as different as they could be, but they were both fantastic slicing tomatoes. I think I'll be trying to grow both in the future, the productivity and uniformity of the PWs were unbelievable, while the shear size and sweet taste of the Mr. S were on a level I had never seen.

[@pamelaremme38]

I don't know how old you are but GMO Hybrid has pesticides built right in them. You are eating that crap. Hybrid is designed to destroy reproduction and gut flora. Wake up.

[@lukewilson3271]

@@pamelaremme38 Sounds like you need a lesson in botany. A hybrid is completely different from a GMO. Hybrids are simply one variety crossing with another, nothing is being "added" to their genetics, that wasn't already in one of the parents. If you grow a lot of heirlooms and save seeds you likely have made hybrids by accident (especially if you grow a lot of squash and peppers). GMOs aren't even available to the majority of home gardeners, unless they want to shell out big bucks for their seeds. There are plenty of videos here on youtube that break down the differences better than I can. I believe Travis and Greg may have even done a Row By Row on it when Travis was still with Hoss but I could be wrong, I know they talked about it even if it wasn't the main theme. I also know Kevin at epic gardening did one.

[@ziggybender9125]

@@lukewilson3271 Are you sure you replied to the right comment? She didn't even mention GMO while expressing an acceptance of both hybrid and heirloom based on fruit qualities and taste. Pretty easy to discern she is talking about named hybrids that are mass reproduced.

[@lukewilson3271]

@@ziggybender9125 I don't even see her comment now, but originally she said word for word "I don't know how old you are but GMO Hybrid has pesticides built right in them. You are eating that crap. Hybrid is designed to destroy reproduction and gut flora. Wake up."

[@ziggybender9125]

@@lukewilson3271 Oh my bad, I goofed. Good on you for educating her as that was her own intentions as well I suppose.

[@billayres6022]

Glad you are feeling better. This summer I grew some Georgia Rattlesnake watermelons. They are very seedy but the flavor is out of this world, for us anyway. The temps got really hot but the watermelons did somewhat good. Had 2 that weighed over 25 pounds but the smaller ones were just as good.

[@LazyDogFarm]

That variety can get really big from what I remember.

[@MissZ1KCMO]

Happy to hear that you are feeling better!

[@terridunning5439]

My favorite variety to grow is Diablo, you can sometimes get it from Willhite's. I always get it if I can because that is my husband's favorite. In addition this year I tried Summer Flavor, also from Willhite's. We liked that one very much as well. Both are hybrids. For next year I've got my eye on Willhite's Texas Sweet Red and Willhite's Sweetheart. Both were out of stock when I placed my order with them and I never did get around to looking back to see if they got more stock later in the early spring. I've tried a number of open pollinated varieties down through the years since we've moved to Texas and, for various reasons, never have hit on one that I like more than the above. I'm always open to trying a couple of extra vines of a new-to-me variety but this year I just went with two varieties. Drought and high temps hit my garden pretty hard this year so on with the fall garden and especially pumpkins! So sorry to hear you were feeling ill. Hope the rest of the family stays well.

[@rebeccabsomanybooks3558]

I had it in May and similar stomach problems and extreme fatigue. Lost 20 pounds in 2 wks. Glad you are doing better and able to work the garden.

[@LazyDogFarm]

20 lbs in two weeks is crazy. Glad you're feeling better now!

[@nolawarren3560]

Agreed 20 pounds is not good at all. Please take care of you

[@monamurray8688]

Thankful your feeling better

[@timfetner8029]

Hey Travis. Glad to hear you are on the mend. Looks like you had a great watermelon season this year and looking forward to seeing how those pumpkins do. Always something fun and exciting happening at LDF!!!!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Sure is!

[@adkmcmahon]

I agree with you on the hybrids, move forward, learn and grow is what I think!

[@susanmaguire1503]

There's an open pollinated short season mini watermelon called Blacktail Something (?) that's VERY sweet and juicy. The melons vary a lot, from the size of a softball to the size of a large honeydew. But they are delicious.

[@susanmaguire1503]

Blacktail Mountain

[@tgood9344]

Oh man so sorry to hear about your health issue especially a bummer for being on a trip. I did enjoy your information from the visit you made and seeing all the fig trees and wow okra plants. Your watermelons look wonderful! I’m garden is every so behind this year with our weird weather cold/hot. I have a few watermelons growing, hopefully they will be ok. It seems my garden is more leaves that peppers, tomatoes, green beans etc. My onions were a success but not my garlic or potatoes. Not sure if my garden is user errors or what. Still, as always enjoy gardening. Thank you for your videos, I know they take a ton of work to make. I appreciate all your information, which has helped me tremendously with growing my own garden and also trying new things to grow. I look forward to more videos. 👍🏻😁🌺

[@G.W.H.]

Glad you feel better!!! Yum watermelon!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@rwahlers]

I really enjoy your watching your videos try and watch everyone you post. Im going to try seedless watermelon next year. I'm in zone 7b. I've noticed that you don't grow any cantaloupe. Do you plan to grow any next year? Thanks for the videos I have learned so much from them.

[@LazyDogFarm]

None of us like cantaloupe, so that's why I don't grow it. The only melon we really care for is watermelon.

[@annduffy1356]

Ugh, that sounded miserable! Glad you’re on the mend. I caught it for the first time this month and it took 10 days to feel back to normal! Take it easy for a few more days! Impressive watermelon harvest, thanks for sharing a taste test!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for joining us Ann!

[@drea4195]

I'll be harvesting my first Orange Tendersweets in a few weeks. Will let you know how they turned out for me.

[@WhatWeDoChannel]

That was good to watch. I’m sorry you got sick but glad you are feeling better! I don’t grow watermelons but I am a big fan of hybrids in general. They are way more productive, uniform and disease resistant than open pollinated plants. I do understand why people would want to grow some open pollinated plants and save some seed though. Klaus

[@crystals14acregarden61]

Lol, the only melon we have this year was a volunteer. It might be too late for it here, but I gave it a big empty garden to itself and it's a few feet long. I have no clue if it a watermelon or something else. We'll see

[@jillclark1744]

Planted Ali Baba last year. They taste good but was the seediest watermelon I have ever grown. This year I planted my usual pick of Moon and Stars which are always good and I planted a Strawberry melon for the first time and they were delicious. Really sweet. I will plant again. Next year I want to add a orange seedless melon because it seems to be a favorite of a lot of people. I experiment a lot with different varieties in the garden as a whole but I tend to plant mostly heirlooms because I like saving my seeds. Glad you're feeling better and I hope your family stays well.

[@LazyDogFarm]

They are a little seedy. Seems like most of the older varieties are that way.

[@StubbsMillingCo.]

Bonide is my favorite! For DE, Copper Fungicide etc etc! They are wonderful and they are organic!

[@rickygee8412]

💪🏽 Glad you’re feeling better

[@LazyDogFarm]

Me too!

[@williamjohnson2461]

I'm not sure if they are still around but we used to plant 50+ acres of royal sweet watermelons. They are still on the top of my favorite list for size and sweetness.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Haven't heard of that one.

[@williamjohnson2461]

Will was always a good seller at the SC state farmers market

[@MrSymbolic7]

I have planted maybe 20 watermelon plants in two different yards( Mother-nLaw ) of different varieties and I assume that the exceptionally severe drought here in Texas has hurt me with critter problems , first the rats with bushy tails were eating the young plants ,so I kept replacing plants , then when I actually had fruit growing the coons would come in and crack open the watermelons and that just encouraged the birds to come in , thus far I have not harvested one watermelon , it's been a huge waste of money and time , not to mention the 4 Grandchildren are very unhappy with the situation , the only positive note is they have not discovered my sweet potatoes as of today !

[@LazyDogFarm]

Sorry to hear something got your watermelons. They could have at least left you one!

[@justincentraltexas]

I've had covid over the same time period. Such a weird virus! After about a week of feeling terrible I was able to plant a bunch of watermelons and peppers in a long row to test em out and hopefully get some crosses and a bunch of seeds to plant out next year for fun. Thanks for the great video!

[@outlawjjsmith]

I grew some melon's from a big box store, they looked good and grew good but when we picked them from the indicators we got from the AG Dept they were ready to be picked, out of the four we picked 3 were not ready they were still white with some red, very splotchy and the tast was not very sweet. I have one more in the cooler and fixing to cut it open to see what is inside. Total we ended up with about 15 melons. The biggest was 28 lbs. We still have more on the vine and will have to cut them soon as the vine is now dying.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Hopefully you'll get at least one that's good!

[@gregh4065]

For a good seeded watermelon try the Peddler melon from Willhite. They are a large hybrid melon that is hard to beat.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@kylefamilyhomestead7007]

Glad ur feeling better trav!

[@kittiew260]

Sorry to hear you got ill. Unfortunately it's to point everyone is bound to get covid was matter of time. I work remotely and still got it because my son brought home school in spring. Enjoy your feedback on 🍉

[@UrbanWhiteBuffaloFarm]

Hey Travis, Sorry to hear you were under the weather, glad you are feeling better. I still love the black diamond watermelons dark green skin with a nice bright yellow patch. The rattlesnake and Carolina cross are my seeded favorites. We grew up with those two in Mississippi when I was a kid. You had a video maybe last year about a yellow one you thought was great but I would have to go back and find the video. I wish I had more time to comment on all the videos I watch but I just am so busy it is very hard. Take good care of yourself drink a lot of water your body needs it. CYa on the next video

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for joining us!

[@markware4933]

Orange Crunch?

[@UrbanWhiteBuffaloFarm]

@@markware4933 maybe that is the one

[@leahness3588]

Feel better soon. 💙🙏💜🙏

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Leah!

[@archstanton9703]

Sorry to hear you’ve been I’ll but glad you’re feeling better. Wish we could grow watermelons but just don’t have the space in our small garden.

[@rhondamontgomery9796]

I just love watermelons . Mine are ( jubilee)not hybrids, but may think about the hybrid yellow ones you grew. Thanks for sharing!

[@christineelsey3104]

Thanks for your advice & opinion.. ❤ a Canadian fan

[@jonlewis6630]

I grew a few varieties this year and I even got a few that the deer left behind.. my favorite that I grew were the crimson sweet. I tried GA rattlesnake, ND the fruits were oddly shaped, but still good.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Got some Crimson Sweets growing now. Been a while since I've had one, but I remember them being quite tasty.

[@johnbrzenksforearm8295]

Crimson is the most popular in my area. Because of the salt air and salty soil in my area the melons get a sweeter unique taste and are marketed by name based on the area i live in.

[@johnbrzenksforearm8295]

Crimson is the most popular in my area. Because of the salt air and salty soil in my area the melons get a sweeter unique taste and are marketed by name based on the area i live in.

[@johnbrzenksforearm8295]

Crimson is the most popular in my area. Because of the salt air and salty soil in my area the melons get a sweeter unique taste and are marketed by name based on the area i live in.

[@steevo8754]

Your channel has been so much help

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Steevo!

[@fastsetinthewest]

Nice video. NEW SUBSCRIBER in Texas. Lived in corrupt Bulloch County, Georgia and moved to Texas. Eaglegards...

[@LazyDogFarm]

Welcome to the channel!

[@mamajbv]

So glad you’re feeling better!!

[@sharonmorton6734]

Glad you are better!

[@DDWASH9595]

Nice harvest Travis ! That’s a lot of melons you should try a watermelon juice fast to help the body recover

[@markware4933]

Good to see you back on your wheels. I'm a big fan of some hybrids like Corinto cucumbers, Noche zucchini and Bolero carrots and they're certainly worth the extra seed cost. I've got some real nice OP tomatoes that can rival the latest Sakata hybrids for yield and are beyond compare in flavor. Another class of worthy genetics can be found in the older hybrids which often go out of fashion. That Biltmore tomato that CajunB prefers is an example. It was a Seminis release from 2003 but has had to compete with 20 years of marketing of the latest and greatest cultivars. Yields of 20 lbs. per plant are not uncommon and is a flavor favorite at roadside stands. You know it has to be Tonka tough if it thrives in south central Louisiana. It's made my 2023 trials just on CajunB's approval. I would never have even heard of it without your farm tour and vlog. Thank you.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I'm excited to try it as well. Being a semi-determinate, might have to do an adapted Florida Weave for it though.

[@FloraM44]

I'm glad you mention the hybrid success story, because I'm only in my second year of growing watermelons here in Niagara Falls Ontario Canada, with mixed success. Last year I got several Lemon Drop watermelons, but the taste wasn't amazing. I got 2 Blacktail Mountain watermelons, but picked one immature, and the other was small and sweet. This year, cucumber beetles killed the seedlings 3 times and I'm protecting the 4th (recent) sowing with gauze since I'm not even sure we have enough days before first frost to get a harvest. The bugs just do such a number on our melons/cucurbits! Anyway, I've had a few tiny watermelons forming, but they've dropped off. I'm not sure if that's due to anything I'm doing. Any ideas? Or do healthy plants do that too?

[@LazyDogFarm]

I wonder if they're not getting pollinated?

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

I'm trying babydoll this year. 3 fruit are forming so far but won't be ready for harvest for at least another month. I can't grow those big ones up here, the warm season just isn't long enough. Good to see you're recovering from Covid. Hope CajunB didn't catch it too.

[@david.6040]

Did triple play seedless for the first time, they were great. A little trying to germinate.

[@LazyDogFarm]

All seedless are. They'll make you pull your hair trying to get them to all germinate.

[@joelhenderson5404]

Black diamond is king here in Oklahoma. Charleston Grey is next. I love orange melted is my favorite. I used to take jubilee and yellow to cross and boy they used to make a wonderful orange melted that would knock your socks off

[@markabernathy12]

Was able to pick some of those Orange Crush that ripen and we done ate four really like those I will be planting them next year again

[@LazyDogFarm]

That's a good one too!

[@FloraM44]

Oh man seeing you pick all those watermelons made me nervous, I was like, what if they're not ready?! Lol I haven't finished watching yet but I'm really hoping you'll share how you can tell! I've always heard descriptions of how the thump test should sound but without comparison with an unripe thump, they all sound .. thumpy! 🤣🤣

[@LazyDogFarm]

We did a video a few weeks ago showing how we know they're ripe.

[@FloraM44]

@@LazyDogFarm ah great I'll go check! Darn notifications, they should've known I'd want to see that! 😂

[@TalkingThreadsMedia]

Oh my gosh...I’m so sorry you got COVID - again! Thanks for sharing your pick on the best watermelon. Best wishes from.Kate in Olympia, WA - 7/30/2022.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Kate!

[@Lochness19]

Interesting that you got stomach issues. We got it recently too but our version of it was more respiratory based. Sore throat, cough, sniffles, bit of fever, slight headache and reduced energy, low of taste/smell and sore lower back (that last one was a bit odd).

[@marysurbanchickengarden]

Bummer Travis, I'm sorry you've been sick. It seems like a bunch of people from my church have the new variant. I just got a text from my pastor, he sends them out to the whole church to pray for anyone who is sick. Got two back to back on two families. I was planning on doing a little shopping next week but now I think I'll just do a pickup order. I just planted some fall pumpkins/winter squash. Hopefully the vine borers won't be as bad in the fall. I'm battling the mildew still. We get these little showers and then the sun comes out. I have about 5 more that needs a few days and I'll be pulling up those vines and sending them to the dump.

[@LazyDogFarm]

We've been getting those short pop-up showers almost every day. Forecast will say 15% chance of rain in the morning, and then it's 75% come 6:00 in the afternoon.

[@cliftonmcandrew4786]

I don't have much space in my backyard for garden but I grew one watermelon plant got one watermelon I stopped watering when it started getting yellow but it's still split before it got right it was a royal golden watermelon

[@dougsmith4769]

This is my second year growing Sangria melons. None are ripe yet so the jury is out for now. I would like to try the orange crisp next year as they look marvelous! Am I correct to assume that the Sangria would work as a pollinizer? Also, I have been wondering, when should I stop fertilizing my watermelons?? Sorry to hear about your Covid experience! Glad you are recovering! Thanks for all your commitment to sharing Lazy Dog Farms with us! I look forward to all your videos!!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Yes, Sangria could be used as a pollenizer for Orange Crisp. I only stopped fertilizing mine in the last couple weeks because we were getting so much rain that I didn't need to run the irrigation -- and thus wasn't injecting either.

[@jaynagala5819]

@@LazyDogFarm I thought you needed an open pollinated watermelon as your pollenizer. Sangria is a hybrid?

[@sherrymull1728]

use the one that's in a bag good for animals and garden and it works.

[@robotgopher7739]

I always get a lot of cucumbers and watermelon fruits, but then the next day I check on the fruits they have pickle worms what can I use to stop them they are the only pest I ever have in the garden other then vine bores.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Gonna have to start spraying something like B.t. or Spinosad pretty regularly to get them knocked out. Also pick fruits early and often so that you can get them before the pickle worms do.

[@hopemorrison2367]

So sorry you were feeling so bad glad you better any time you feel that sick high tail it to the hospital as quickly as possible money will work itself out later

[@TheRainHarvester]

Watermelon season ending? Last year i planted seeds from a store-bought watermelon. So they just got started as seedlings about this time of year...in central Texas. Watermelons love heat. Why not plant now? Just curious

[@sondrad1839]

Loved the video with Cajun B. It was great.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Sondra!

[@allantrafford6262]

I grew the tendersweet orange as well. They looked just like yours. I expected them to be more orange. Out of 50ish melons, about 15 was delicious, about 15 was just ok, and the rest was edible but not real good.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Sorry to hear that, but makes sense now as to why those seeds I bought were so dang cheap.

[@janking2762]

I had very similar GI symptoms in the spring, thought it was food poisoning or whatever, then tested positive for Covid, big surprise for me. Got better in a few days but am much more careful around crowds and strangers. Good luck to you!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Good to hear you got better fast!

[@delphiawendel6089]

Travis saw something interesting on utube gardener using def for his lawn. All it is nitgren and water The Breez

[@Dylan1094]

I grew Charleston Grays and they were some of the sweetest ive had just tons of seeds i will be growing those orange seedless next year. Do you have to have a orange pollinator for the orange seedless or could you use a red seeded watermelon for those?

[@LazyDogFarm]

The pollinator doesn't have to be the same color.

[@wendyharman3993]

Enjoyed the video, I want to try both the alibaba and orange crisp next year. would I need another watermelon besides the alibaba for a pollinator? what is your recommendation? I love the staggering planting idea!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Alibaba will work just fine as a pollinator.

[@rickthelian2215]

Travis, hope your feeling 100% soon.... Take it easy or a bit...😉

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Rick.

[@alabama_ashley]

It's a blessing. Carbaryl is real bad on the environment. Also don't ever let anyone tell you you can't grow organic anything. Mother nature does it every day.

[@rootsoflife9793]

At my road stand Those ali baba sell pretty good for me oddly ppl love big melons here and all they have to hear is heirloom lol. But I love the Crack resistance the rain here can bust a melon fast

[@LazyDogFarm]

Interesting. Glad they work well for you!

[@rootsoflife9793]

@@LazyDogFarm if you guys can find sweet gem watermelon seed give them a try alot of Amish grow em here it's a seedless variety w some good disease resistance ive grown some extremely sweet ones

[@eroggero]

Glad your feeling better, that sure is a different symptom then I have seen yet. Sure sounded very uncomfortable... and didn’t realize that sevn had changed, I do use it on field peas on occasion, the aphids get so think and I hear everyone say just spray them off or soap and neem which I have tried- -- good for a day. But lately even this is doing the best. Just check this bottle and it is the newer ingredient, arg... now battling white flies!!!!

[@richardc5727]

Very good info on the Sevin chemical change, and the one that has both fungicide plus Carbaryl in it as well. Zone 9b, Ive tried Crimson Sweet, not fan of it flavor wise. ( 2021 ) Nor a pollinator called Sugar Baby, way too seedy and small ice box one. Wanted to try Jubilee Improved. But once again another seed vendor bad issue. None sprouted on the heat mats nor out in the garden proper when warmer. Rrrr The seeds were fungi treated with pink film. I grew seedless Triple Crown hybrid 2021/2022. ( luckily I used two different vendors as one failed other had 60% germ rate). I wanted to use Jubilee improved, as the pollinator for the Triple Crown Seedless. Once again luck was on my side. As I had 1/2 dozen old Sangria, hybrid seeds from 2021 and they were the pollinator one. Its red watermelons for me. Triple Crown and Sangria. Glad your getting better from the Covid illness.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

[@littlegreen5845]

So random. Glad you are feeling a bit better. Get well soon!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Aimee!

[@brianczuhai8909]

Just counting on you , Man! Don't let us and the kids down. Watermelon time. Just saying you get more points as Watermelon Man then Onion Man.

[@tommathews3964]

Yep, Old Sevin is gone, replaced by New and Unimproved Sevin. I kinda treat it like you do, I like to have some around for “emergencies” but try to stay away from it. Glad you’re over the C! I reckon that crap is gonna be with us from here on. We’ll see. Funny you should mention Ali Baba’s Shape. I grew a patch a few years back that had the prettiest, most uniform fruits you’ve ever seen, and they were delicious. Next year’s patch looked like a freak farm! Funkiest, wonkiest bunch of melons ever. Who knows?? I’m making note of Orange Crisp for next year.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I'm gonna be interested to see how the fall crop looks. A viewer sent me a pic of his and they were the prettiest, most uniform melons you've ever seen.

[@jaynagala6053]

I post a lot in the comments section. two more questions: 1.what is the germination rate of seedless watermelon? 2.what is a good pollenizer/seedless plant ratio?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Germination rate can vary depending on the process. It's tricky, but we were able to get close to 80% this past year. You'll want to plant 1 pollenizer transplant for every 3 seedless transplants.

[@iwanttobelieve5970]

Oh man, I sure wish I liked watermelon. It looks so good.

[@gailpetchenik3048]

Does the orange crisp taste the same as the orange crush?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Very similar.

[@richm5889]

Hybrids got a bad name a while back because some seed companies did some creepy things to them for exclusivity or to corner the market or to control reproduction in not great ways. But anything with two different varieties as parents it's technically a hybrid. But hybrids are really plants being improved for better and more beneficial characteristics. An expert / potato farmer I talked to said producers are no longer even growing a lot of the varieties that home gardeners are keeping alive. You said gardeners know the name Yukon Gold and may not have noticed that the standard Gold potato in supermarkets no longer say Yukon Gold on the bag. He says they are unaware there are superior varieties out there we'd like much better. (Any potato experts out there to comment on this? I'd like to know.)

[@LazyDogFarm]

I think it goes both ways. Some of the hybrids are indeed more productive, but some of them are bred for shipping and longevity after harvest. Sometimes the focus on shipping and longevity sacrifices taste. Take for example the Baltic Rose potato that we like to grow. It's one of the best-tasting potatoes you've ever had. But the skin is thin and I couldn't imagine it being a great variety for commercial production.

[@barbaraengle768]

My apple trees look good,but peach trees lost all it's leaves,only 1st year.. I'm hopeful they didnt die,any suggestions?

[@elasesinoespritual341]

Electric culture will heal it

[@mousiebrown1747]

Don’t do too much too soon. Lots of CoV always all around New Orleans. You’ve got an early start for Fall anyway. Zinc supplements may be helpful. (Prayers 🙏🏻)

[@pamelaremme38]

Lots of idiots who believe in a tv virus where it has NEVER been isolated in any lab. The CDC admits this. People are getting sick from the tests (graphine oxide) on them and also the geoengineering program (chemtrail spraying of our atmosphere) They are culling the idiots. Research please

[@enaid54]

My son works in the ER and the same thing happened to him! It was nausea, vomiting, etc.! He said it was terrible! Two weeks later he is still testing positive!

[@nolawarren3560]

I have been having the same issues, but I am blaming it on the new to me statin drugs. So as of now, no more prescribed drugs AT All. My body is telling me something. I am listening

[@nolawarren3560]

Vomiting is the worst. It paralyzes me

[@TheDuckofDoom.]

This applies to all sorts of plants, comparing open pollinated to hybrids in this age is apples and oranges. It isn't just the direct hybrid features like vigor or seedlessness, it has a lot to do with the seed market and economics. Sort of like trying to compare a 50 year old tractor with 10,000 hours on it to a new model just off the truck, are you comparing design features or condition? Home growers are a tiny fraction of the seed market and as a group generally don't know a healthy seed from a floor sweepin' so we get the seed leftovers (even among popular cultivars packet seeds will be small and light while those sold wholesale to farmers are fat heavy seeds and properly stored). Meanwhile large farmers have the means to prove seed was a cause of failure and get their money back. The top quality breeders then put all of their effort into maintaining the cultivars that commercial growers want, and because of this the older open pollinated varieties that are no longer grown commercially get neglected. Maintaining and improving a cultivar takes a lot of investment, going out in the field culling off plants maintaining several isolated parent stocks and so on. So those old varieties become degraded and inconsistant compared to what they were in their hayday.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Great points!

[@scottwhite4645]

Regarding Hybrid variety seeds, yes sir, F1’s are worth every penny!! Gardening in the South, you in GA. and me based in Texas, don’t have a lot of time to waster with OP varieties. Our growing conditions, between the insects and hot weather is no place to try and grow heirlooms. If you’re a backyard gardener and want extra food to save and share by all means the F1’s are the way to go. An example, many people swear by Blue Lake beans and they are good, but the last two years I’ve grown “Sybaris” F1 beans..between the flavor and the production, they’re out producing the Blue Lakes 10:1. I’ve kept track and the average is double the production. BL beans give between a 1/3 to 1/2 lb. per plant where the Sybaris are a averaging 1lb. per plant. Spend the extra $$, it’s worth it for sure. Thanks !

[@LazyDogFarm]

Good example on the beans!

[@richardisbell8561]

Are you doing batter now so you can do the peas

[@LazyDogFarm]

Yeah. I'm finally getting back caught up. Just got that plot cleaned up again today so I can replant soon.

[@jaynagala5819]

I grew a yellow doll f1 hybrid and a desert king watermelon this year living in Las Vegas, NV. The yellow doll f1 hybrid performed way better than the "drought tolerant" watermelon. Yellow doll f1 hybrid 6 plants-21 melons, desert king-12 plants-12 melons. The hybrid outperformed the drought tolerant heirloom in an arid climate of Las Vegas, NV. I noted similar observations to you: 1.Last year, Orange tendersweet watermelon wasn't a good watermelon variety for me. 2.The hybrid that I grew gave me a ton of consistency in terms of production/uniformity. 3.The desert king watermelon hasn't produced uniformity and shape and some seem too small to really count as a productive fruit. @Lazy Dog Farm, you should try Early Moonbeam(open pollinated), which is the dehybridized yellow doll watermelon. I wonder how that would produce. Do pollenizers have to be open pollinated? I'd be interested in pairing a yellow doll pollenizer with an amarillo seedless or a yellow doll pollenizer and an orange krisp.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Pollenizers don't have to be an OP variety. It can be a hybrid, as long as it's diploid.

[@jarodpalmer352]

What fertilizer you use for your watermelon

[@LazyDogFarm]

This stuff: agrothrive.com/?ref=Ttm7Og22_djSzH

[@Christian-jx3nx]

Which is sweeter Baby Doll or Orange Crisp? I’ve really liked Charleston Gray but haven’t tasted too many kinds

[@LazyDogFarm]

Hard to say without having them side by side. Both are great though.

[@chrisjohnson3723]

We planted tendersweet orange and not impressed. Very weak sweetness. We also planted triple play, it's a lot sweeter and they are cute personal sized watermelons.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Good to know about Triple Play. I like the size of those.